Maintaining security in a paperless world

When it comes to optimizing workplace efficiency and productivity, going paperless can be one of the best ways to achieve multiple goals. Firms that embrace the elimination of paper from their offices reduce costs, improve communications, enhance employee workloads and provide a stronger foundation for information management. However, there are many concerns that crop up on occasion from those seeking to achieve these benefits, and the top one is security.

Data security is always a concern for businesses, especially as technology improves. The top worry cited by companies investing in the cloud, mobility, big data solutions and many other technologies is security. This makes the fact that it is a major question asked by firms going paperless nothing new. However, unlike some of the other IT trends, security can be improved by going paperless, rather than hurt.

Paperless control

When it comes to information control, antiquated paper systems actually provide significantly less security than digital. Employees can copy documents, carry them home and lose them, or take originals and accidently damage or destroy them, creating compliance nightmares. At the same time, keeping too tight a leash on paper records hurts productivity and dampens employee efficiency. Going digital properly allows companies to insert a stronger control management system that provides data encryption and other high-quality security measures that eliminate these problems and any that can be created by migrating to paperless operations.

Paperless comfort

Beyond the storage and use of document and information, going paperless presents a more secure method for data destruction. With paper, significant (and costly) measures have to be taken to destroy records when necessary. Shredding, secure recycling and the elimination of every copy, not just the original, can take time and end up being for naught should a carbon copy slip through the cracks. With digital, it’s simply a matter of encrypted deletion, and possible the green destruction of a hard drive if necessary. This allows firms to rest easy knowing their data is safe, whether in use or destroyed, and out of the hands of those who would misuse it.

Of course, security isn’t a free and easy thing when going paperless, there are still specific efforts that have to be put in place. The first step is enlisting the services of high-quality document imaging services to ensure that information goes from paper to digital formats quickly, accurately and securely. Following this, firms have to have the right document management software in place to handle their use and security needs over time. With these factors in place, however, businesses can rest easy knowing their most important resource, their information, is in safe hands.

The efforts to paperless can be a significant boon to any company will to take the time and make the right investments into their future.